Light assembly for attachment to a gutter



Se t. 12, 1967 H. J. SOMERMEYER 3,341,699

LIGHT ASSEMBLY FOR ATTACHMENT TO A GUTTER Filed Nov. 10, 1966 l NVEN TOR HARRY J. SOM ERMEYER United States Patent 3,341,699 LIGHT ASSEMBLY FOR ATTACHMENT TO A GUTTER Harry J. Somermeyer, 405 E St., Hamburg, Iowa 51640 Filed Nov. 10, 1966, Ser. No. 601,265 11 Claims. (Cl. 240-2) This invention relates to decorative light fixtures and more particularly it is an object to provide a lighting assembly comprising a plurality of simulated candles each having a base ortion, having a slot with a hook-like wall means for hooking about an upward forward flange of a rain gutter.

Heretofore lighting fixtures have been proposed for attachment to rain gutters. However, the center of gravity of each lighting fixture of my invention is disposed above the horizontal flange at the edge of a gutter whereby the fixture would have a tendency to fall off if their attachment to the gutter was the same as has been proposed in the prior art. In my opinion, fixtures extending upwardly from the gutter would have been marketed in quantity long ago if there had been known an effective way for their quick attachment to a gutter.

It is a particular object of this invention, therefore, to provide the base of lighting fixtures as described with portions that hook around and also under the terminal edge of the horizontal forward flange of a standard rain gutter.

A still further object is to provide a fixture having a base with a flange receiving slot having multiple notches for holding a candle-like section of the fixture more upright when mounted on gutters having edge flanges of varying depth.

A further object is to provide a lighting fixture as described which is provided with hook means for attaching it to a gutter having an unusually wide forward horizontal flange.

Still another object is to provide a lighting fixture, a candle-like portion of which is inexpensively made of cylindrical tubing, readily removable from the base portion for access to a lamp which would otherwise be inaccessible inside the tubing.

Another object is to provide a fixture as described having a substantially planar under surface adapted to rest on various horizontal supporting surfaces.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and claims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawings themselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a way in which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a frontal elevation of the lighting assembly of this invention, in which two lights are shown as an example attached to a section of the rain guttering of a building.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of one of the light fixtures of FIGURE 1 shown with various portions broken away, and with other portions illustrated in section for purposes of illustration, the fixture being shown on guttering, a dotted line illustrating an optional position of the light fixture for attachment to guttering having an unusually wide upper flange.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the light fixture of FIGURES 1 and 2, with the optional position of guttering showing in dotted lines, and with the upper tubing 3,341,699 Patented Sept. 12, 1967 removed and its position being shown in dotted lines, for purposes of illustration.

The light assembly of this invention is generally indicated at 10 in FIGURE 1, and has as one of its parts a conventional horizontally elongated rain gutter, generally indicated at 12, having a forward wall 14.

The forward wall 14 has a rearwardly extending flange 16, best seen in FIGURE 2, which extends approximately horizontally rearwardly from the upper end of the forward wall 14, as is conventional, the flange 16 being elongated in the direction of the elongation of the gutter, and the rearmost edge 18 of the flange 16 being spaced from the rearward wall 22 of the gutter.

A light fixture 30 forms part of a light fixture assembly 32 formed of a plurality of light fixtures, all of which are mounted on the gutter in a manner as best seen in FIGURE 2.

Each light fixture 30 has a base, generally indicated at 40, the base 40 having an elongated slot 42 therethrough, extending from one side 44 to the other side 44 thereof, as is a way of expressing the construction, although the interior of the base 46 is hollow, having a central opening entering upwardly from the bottom thereof, such opening being best seen at 48 in FIGURE 2, portions of the side of the base 40 being broken away.

The slot 42 has a forward wall or forward side 46 disposed in engagement with the forward side of the forward wall 14 of the gutter 12.

The slot 42 further has a rearward wall 56 provided With notch means 52 and 54 therein, one of which receives the rearward edge 18 of the flange 16. Each notch means 52 or 54 has a lower wall surface means 58 or 60 respectively, each of which are adapted to extend under the rearward edge of the flange 16, depending upon the horizontal width of the flange 16, as also determines which of the notches 52 or 54 the flange will be received in.

As shown in FIGURE 2, for the flange width shown, the lower notch is best adapted to hold the elongated light fixture 30 upright, and as it is the lower wall surface means 60 of the lower notch 54 which extends under the rearward edge of the flange 16 in the illustration in FIGURE 2, extending thereunder a sufficient distance as to provide a hooking effect for gripping the rearward edge of the flange 16 at a time when a forward wall 46 of the notch 42 is engaging the forward wall 14 of the gutter.

The center of gravity of the light fixture 32 is disposed above the horizontal flange 16, or in other words, above either one of the notches 52 and 54, by a substantial distance, whereby the hooking eflect of the notch is very important for preventing the fixture from falling forwardly off of the gutter, as could much more easily happen if the rearward wall 50 of the notch were vertical and straight, especially assuming that there is a slightly loose fit.

The light fixture assembly 32 has a plurality of electrical sockets 80, one of which is seen in FIGURE 2. Each socket has an electrical lamp 82 received in it for providing a lamp and socket assembly, generally indicated at 84.

The base 40 has an upper section 100, having an approximately horizontal top wall provided with a hole 112 therethrough, through which the threaded bottom of the lamp 82 extends, with the lower end of the threaded bottom 160 received in the socket 80, and the hole 112 being of lesser size than the upper part 162 of the lamp 82 above its base 160 and also of lesser size than the socket 89, whereby the socket assembly 84 is thereby secured to the base 40 at its top Wall 110.

The upper base portion 100 can also be called an upwardly extending protrusion 100 and the protrusion or upper base portion 100 receives thereon a cylindrical vertically elongated translucent tube 190 which thereby surrounds the lamp 82, the inner surface 192 of the tube 190 being cylindrical and the outer surface 196 of the upper base portion 100 being approximately cylindrical, but having an upper end 198 of lessereiz'e than its lower end 200, whereby the side Walls of the upper base portion 100 can also be called the outer surface 196, defining approximately a frustro-conical configuration, on to which the lower end of the translucent 190 is wedged for providing a snug fit, so as to define means for maintaining the tube 190 on the protrusion or upper base section 100 in a strong wind.

Such a snug fit could cause the tube 190 to be very diflicult to move from the base, and such removal is necessary in order to replace the lamp 32 when it is burned out. For this reason the protrusion or upper base section 100 has in its outer surface 196 at least one vertically extending indentation in its outer surface, such indentations being seen at 210 and the wall thickness of the upper base section 100 at the indentations 210 is not substantially thicker than wall surfaces of the upper base section 100 disposed between the indentations 210, whereby the indentations 210 facilitate a compressing of the protrusion whereby its outer periphery becomes lesser when the tube 190 is squeezed thereon in assembly. This causes the tube 190 to be readily attached and removed from the protrusion or upper base section 100.

It is important that the tube 190 and the upper base section 100 have the same coefficient of expansion, where by once the tube is emplaced firmly on the upper base section 100 it will not tend to become loosened as a result of temperature changes, nor will it jam so tightly as to split light plastic of which it is made.

It is important that air circulation means be available in the light fixture assembly and air circulation from the outside of the tube 190 can enter through the indenta tions 210, which are one form of air circulation means, another form being the provision of perforations 250 in the top wall 110, to allow air circulation up through the open bottom of the base 40 and into the tube 190. The perforations 250 and the indentations 210 further serve an important purpose for allowing rain drainage downwardly out of the tube 190.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 it will be seen that the plurality of light fixtures 30 which form the light fixture assembly 32 can be of any number, two being shown for purposes of illustration, with electrical cord means 260 interconnecting the sockets 80 of the various light fixtures 30.

It will be seen that the sections of the cord means 260 which extend between various fixtures 30 hang downwardly from the underside thereof for lowering the center of gravity of the assembly as a whole, for further increasing the stability of the fixtures on a gutter in a high wind.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3, an alternate way of attaching the base 40 to a gutter is there illustrated on the left hand side of these views in which a gutter portion is shown in dotted lines at 270, having an upper horizontal flange 272 which is of such width that it could not be received in the slot 42. A way of attaching the base to such a flange 272 is shown, the way consisting of an approximately U-shaped clamp 280 formed of resilient material and having upper and lower sides 282 and 284 which press toward each other, the upper side 282 engaging the upper side of the base 40 in a vertically thin side projection 288 thereof, which latter extends approximately horizontally and is firmly attached to the remainder of the lower part of the base 40 by means of integral webs 290.

As thus described it will be seen that this invention has provided a new and beautiful form of decoration with soft diffused light emanating from translucent tub- From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a light assembly constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention can be changed and modified without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

1. In combination, a horizontally elongated rain gutter having a forward wall, a rearwardly extending flange on said gutter attached to and extending approximately horizontally rearwardly from the upper end of said forward wall, said flange being elongated in the direction of the elongation of the said gutter and the rearmost edge of said flange being spaced from the rearward wall of said gutter, the forward wall of said gutter extending downwardly from said flange, and a light fixture, said light fixture having a base, having a horizontally extending slot therethrough, said slot having a forward wall disposed in engagement with the forward side of the forward wall of said gutter, said slot having a rearward wall provided with notch means therein receiving the rearward edge of said flange, said notch means having wall surface means extending under the rearward edge of said flange a sufficient distance as to provide a hooking eflect for gripping the rearward edge of said flange, the center of gravity of said light fixture being disposed above said flange and also a substantial distance above said flange whereby said hooking effect causes said fixture to be arrested from falling forwardly off of said gutter, a socket, an electrical lamp received in said socket providing a lamp and socket assembly, means on said base in cooperative engagement with said lamp and socket assembly for securing said assembly to said base.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said base has an upwardly extending protrusion, an elongated translucent tube having a lower end received on the exterior of said protrusion, means for maintaining said tube on said protrusion in a wind.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which said means for securmg said tube on said protrusion comprises a snug fit therebetween.

4. The combination of claim 2 in which said protrusion is tapered from a lower portion of larger size to an upper portion of lesser size, and in which said tube means for securing said tube to said protrusion comprises a snug fit therebetween.

5. The combination of claim 4 in which said protruson has an upwardly extending vertical side wall surface which has approximately vertically extending indentatlons therein for facilitating a compressing of said protrusion whereby its outer periphery becomes lesser when said tube is squeezed thereon in assembly for causing said tube to be readily attached and removed from said protrusion.

6. The combination of claim 1 in which said base has passages extending vertically therethrough through which nails can be disposed to attach the base to an object.

7. The combination of claim 1 in which said base has ventilation opening therethrough disposed inwardly of said tube.

8. The combination of claim 1 in further combination with a clip having two opposite spaced sides disposed one above and one below an edge of said base, said clip having means interconnecting said space sides and urging said space sides towards each other.

9. The combination of claim 1 in which said notch means comprise a plurality of notches disposed one above another so as to adapt the base for receiving said gutter flanges of different widths.

10. The combination of claim 1 in further combination with at least one other similar light fixture similarly connected to said gutter and disposed along side said first light fixture, and flexible electrical wiring means inter- 10 10 5 5 connecting the sockets of said light fixtures, the electrical wiring means disposed between two of said light fixtures hanging downwardly below said gutter flange so as to lower the center of gravity of those parts described here- 5 engaging the rearward edge of said flange and the forward side of said forward gutter wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1963 Chernansky 240-2 3,204,090 8/1965 Kvarda 240-l0 3,275,81'8 9/1966 Campbell 240-2 3,278,742 10/ 1966 Stallard 240-40 in with the exception of the gutter for greater stability 15 NORTON ANSHER Primary Examiner in maintaining said light fixture upright in a strong wind.

M. H. HAYES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED RAIN GUTTER HAVING A FORWARD WALL, A REARWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE ON SAID GUTTER ATTACHED TO AN EXTENDING APPROXIMATELY HORIZONTALLY REARWARDLY FROM THE UPPER END OF SAID FORWARD WALL, SAID FLANGE BEING ELONGATED IN THE DIRECTION OF THE ELONGATION OF THE SAID GUTTER AND THE REARMOST EDGE OF SAID FLANGE BEING SPACED FROM THE REARWARD WALL OF SAID GUTTER, THE FORWARD WALL OF SAID GUTTER EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID FLANGE, AND A LIGHT FIXTURE, SAID LIGHT FIXTURE HAVING A BASE, HAVING A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING SLOT THERETHROUGH, SAID SLOT HAVING A FORWARD WALL DISPOSED IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FORWARD SIDE OF THE FORWARD WALL OF SAID GUTTER, SAID SLOT HAVING A REARWARD WALL PROVIDED WITH NOTCH MEANS THEREIN RECEIVING THE REARWARD EDGE OF SAID FLANGE, SID NOTCH MEANS HAVING WALL SURFACE MEANS EXTENDING UNDER THE REARWARD EDGE OF SAID FLANGE A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE AS TO PROVIDE A HOOKNG EFFECT FOR GRIPPING THE REARWARD EDGE OF SAID FLANGE, THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF SAID LIGHT FIXTURE BEING DISPOSED ABOVE SAID FLANGE AND ALSO A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE ABOVE SAID FLANGE WHEREBY SAID HOOKING EFFECT CAUSES SAID FIXTURE TO BE ARRESTED FROM FALLING FORWARDLY OFF OF SAID GUTTER, A SOCKET, AN ELECTRICAL LAMP RECEIVED IN SAID SOCKET PROVIDING A LAMP AND SOCKET ASSEMBLY, MEANS ONE SAID BASE INN COOPERATVE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LAMP AND SOCKET ASSEMBLY FOR SECURING SAID ASSEMBLY TO SAID BASE. 